20demayo Chapter 500
Chapter 500
Thirteen years later—
Spring turned to autumn, mountains and seas changed, times shifted and situations evolved.
After a drizzly winter rain, the weather grew even more humid and cold.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Heavy coughing came from behind the overlapping green gauze curtains. The palace attendants entering and exiting Shunan Palace all wore expressions of worry and sorrow.
Several imperial physicians knelt by the bed, silent in the face of the Empress Dowager's questioning.
Only Yan the Imperial Physician dared to speak the truth: "Your Majesty, although Consort Liang's body is no longer affected by the poison from fourteen years ago, her health is still not what it used to be. This winter has been especially long and severe, and she has contracted a serious cold. We... have exhausted all our efforts."
Moreover, Consort Liang is forty-three years old, which is considered long-lived among the imperial consorts.
Throughout history, the lifespan of an emperor has typically ranged around sixty, as long hours and worry over state affairs take their toll.
Thus, Consort Liang's survival to over forty, especially after undergoing a full blood transfusion due to a severe poison, is quite remarkable.
After Yan the Imperial Physician finished speaking, the room fell silent once more. Only Consort Liang lay on the bed, her lifeless eyes staring at the canopy above.
She seemed to see herself at the age of fifteen...
She, Consort De, Concubine Li, and several other consorts who had long been forgotten, all entered the palace in the same year.
In the warm spring of March, with grass growing and orioles flying, flowers bloomed and faded, while the beauty of the maidens remained eternal.
Three years after another three, the cycle repeated, with new maidens constantly replacing the old.
"Xiang Rui, what does the Emperor look like? When my father took me to a court banquet, I only saw him from afar, just knowing he had one nose and two eyes."
"Shh! Ni Er, don't speak ill of the Emperor. If Matron Duan hears us, we'll be punished."
Back then, at fourteen, Concubine Li had already been a willful girl, yet her young heart was full of justice: "What are you afraid of? My grandfather is the Prime Minister Song. If it weren't for the Zhu family's major concessions, agreeing to the Emperor's eternal... forget it. You wouldn't understand even if I told you. Just remember, cling to my side, and Matron Duan won't dare touch you."
"Then I'll be Ni Er's little follower from now on."
"Look at you, so spineless. I still have two exquisite beauty lotions, I'll give you one later."
Back then, she and Concubine Li were close, while Consort De, with her ordinary appearance, always followed her beautiful older cousin, full of self-deprecation.
Now, looking back, what was the point?
Weren't they all simply serving their own masters in the palace?
If the Yu Family had aligned with Prime Minister Song back then, Consort Liang would have undoubtedly become Concubine Li's pawn.
For over a decade, Concubine Li dominated the palace, and even the late Empress had to step aside.
Until Jiang Xinyue's arrival...
At first, they all thought the Emperor merely saw her as a substitute for Concubine Li, seeking in the new woman the shadow of Concubine Li's past.
But who could have imagined, with Concubine Chu's rise as the starting signal, she outmaneuvered all the seasoned, cunning, and favored consorts.
After adopting the fourth prince and giving birth to the Crown Prince, she soon delivered the imperial twins, the seventh prince and the third princess.
Those who underestimated her had already descended to the underworld.
And only Jiang Xinyue was the consort in the palace who truly earned her admiration and genuine affection.
They could also be said to have become friends through quarrels.
Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough... *retch*
A deep crimson blood sprayed from Consort Liang's throat, and her body sank heavily into the bedding...
There was a suppressed sob in Shunan Palace, which grew louder after a moment.
"Consort Liang... Consort Liang..."
Consort Liang opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Jiang Xinyue, whose youthful innocence had faded, her demeanor now one of divine inviolability: "Your Majesty... you are still... as beautiful as the first time I saw you."
Under the crabapple tree, the young maiden's rosy cheeks were like the fully ripened peaches of March, fallen to the ground—excessively vivid and dazzling, exuding a bewitching charm.
"You're not beautiful at all anymore. When I first met you, you were like a little chili pepper, full of vitality. Now you're like this?"
Feeble, as if she might leave at any moment.
Consort Liang felt her vision clear, her spirits lifting, and she sat up in bed: "Why do I hear the eldest princess's voice? Is she here to take me away?"
"Grandmother! Grandmother!"
A young girl around thirteen or fourteen charged into the room, her looks identical to the eldest princess's when she was young.